This invention relates to a utility tray which is mounted to an upstanding vertical pole used for supporting intravenous solution containers. The purpose of the tray is for the convenience of the medical staff by holding various items needed during the tube feeding or intravenous infusion process.
It is common for patients in hospitals and nursing homes to require intravenous tubes for food or medication. The intravenous solution containers are supported above the feeding point by a vertical upstanding pole having container hangers at the top and wheels at the bottom. The term intravenous pole used herein refers to the vertical upstanding pole in this intravenous setting.
Nurses in nursing homes who must administer tube feedings find it difficult to flush the tubing, add more formula, or change the medication when the resident is out in the hall or has been placed in an activities room for diversion. Although these residents have a large syringe issued to them for the purpose of irrigating or flushing, it is usually kept in the resident's bureau of their bedroom. It would be a great convenience and save much nursing time if the syringe is with the patient. Furthermore, the syringe may be needed in an emergency. However, as no syringe should be stored on a tray or in close proximity to a patient with a needle intact, the inventive device should only be used in conjunction with a catheter tipped syringe which does not require a needle.
In a hospital setting, a tray is necessary to hold the same items in order to save nursing time and physical energy. The items necessary for the medical staff to do their routine work will be readily available while items required for possible emergencies will also be on hand conserving time in a life threatening situation.
Also, as the patient is ambulatory, he is able to be up and out of bed and may be walking in the hallway or going to other parts of the hospital. With one hand holding the intravenous pole and guiding it as he is walking, there is little ability to carry the other necessary items required by the patient for his hygiene. Thus, from a patient's perspective it would be convenient to be able to carry toiletries such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, brush, water glass, etc. as he walks through the hospital. The freedom of the patient's hands during these walks would give him a safer environment in which to ambulate by having both hands free, thus reducing the possibility of accidents.
In the past, there have been various types of attachments adapted to be fitted to variously configured vertically upstanding poles. One example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 1,799,079 entitled "Washstand". In this patent the wash basin is attached by means of a sleeve which encircles the upstanding tubular pole However, this device is not easily removed from the pole nor is it adapted for receiving and retaining various medical paraphernalia, which would be found in a medical environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,414,133 entitled "Small Hanging Basket for Beach Umbrellas" illustrates a hanging basket which is used for beach umbrellas. A major problem with the several embodiments illustrated in this patent is that none of them are easily attached to or can be removed from the umbrella pole. Also, the basket does not have holes formed in the basket to receive glasses, syringes, etc. Rather, a separate shelf is added to the basket which can be used to receive bottles, etc. U.S. Pat. No. 4,678,089 entitled "Display Stand" illustrates a display device having a series of trays mounted on a pole. These trays do not have holes or other receiving means thereof to receive cups, syringes or other medical paraphernalia. Furthermore, the trays are not easily removable from the vertically upstanding pole.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,403 entitled "Holder on Upright Support of Detachable Rotatable Trays" illustrates the use of a mounting plate which is mounted on the vertically upstanding pole. Variously configured holders or rings are then affixed to the mounting plate. Although the holders or rings can be removed, the mounting plate is designed to remain on the pole and can only be removed from the pole by being slid over one of the ends of the pole. If both ends of the vertically upstanding pole have extensions or protrusions, such as in the case of an intravenous pole, the plate could hot be removed.
As can be seen from the prior art described above, there is a common problem which has not been solved by these prior art devices. The intravenous pole which is used in a medical environment to support intravenous containers is generally configured such that it has its lower end attached to a transport mechanism, such as a wheel or caster arrangement, and its top end has support arms extending outward which are used to support the intravenous containers. Accordingly, any sort of device to be mounted on the pole could not be slid over the top of the pole or up from the bottom of the pole as both ends of the pole have restrictions which preclude any sort of mounting device from being slid over the pole from either end. Therefore, any sort of attachment to the pole must necessarily have a mounting arrangement configured such that it can be affixed to the mid section of the pole without the necessity of sliding it over either end.
Furthermore, the needs of the medical staff are specific. The applicant's medical tray is designed for holding various items needed during the tube feeding or intravenous infusion process. The items which must be held may include syringes used for irrigating tubes, adding fluids, medications, or feeding. Airways are often needed near the bedside for emergency precautions or during cardiac arrest. Hemostats and clamps are often kept near the patient to clamp off a tube in case of complications. Bandages and scissors may need to stay at the bedside for non-sterile functions. Plastic medicine cups to hold petroleum jelly, peroxide, corn starch and other miscellaneous items are often required at the bedside. A water cup for drinking, flushing or rinsing of tubes is also convenient. Sterile dressings in their unopened packages and tape for securing intravenous catheters is also kept at the bedside. Other items which would be conveniently retained at the bedside include cotton balls and a container, gloves, tongue blades, stickers for affixing to an intravenous solution bag to identify the medications, alcohol preparation pads, pins, markers, and miscellaneous paraphernalia related to the patient's condition.
Applicant's invention is designed to be used with an upstanding vertical pole used to support intravenous solution containers. At the bottom of the pole are rollers for permitting the pole to be easily transportable by rolling it along the floor. The utility tray has a clamp along one of the perimeter edges to attach the tray to an intermediate portion of the vertical pole without the necessity of sliding it over the top or up from the bottom of the pole. There are a series of circular openings in the utility tray for receiving in a supporting mode various sized cylindrical objects. There is also a recessed trough portion on the surface of the utility tray for receiving and supporting miscellaneous medical items. A u-shaped slot is cut into the perimeter edge of the tray with the width of the slot gradually diminishing from the edge of the tray towards the base of the slot. The slot is used for receiving hollow tubes of various diameter and to pinch the tube closed as it is moved from the open end towards the base of the slot to stop the flow of fluid through the tube. In addition there are circular areas cut into the top of the tray to permit tubes to be held in the circular areas thereby restraining axial movement of the tubes in an effort to keep the tubes from being tangled with one another.